Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
If you still need proof that Google Maps and Waze are different beats and each has its own path in Google's long-term strategy, here's another announcement that should serve as confirmation that a merge isn't on the table yet.
Google has updated Google Maps with the ability to get metro tickets directly from the app. The feature is launching in India thanks to a collaboration between the Mountain View-based search giant and the Open Network for Digital Commerce, with the first users projected to get it in the coming months.
The integration makes Google Maps the recommended app for public transportation in India, as it can already provide accurate directions, arrival times, and other details.
With this update, Google Maps becomes an all-in-one solution for transit, something the search giant has long been aiming for, especially as part of its non-navigation focus.
The strategy seems to be expanding Google Maps on every single front, including features not aimed at drivers. However, it doesn't mean Google ignores car navigation, as further polishing keeps rolling out occasionally, but the company wants Google Maps to become the right app for everybody.
Earlier this month, Google Maps brought its eco-friendly routing engine to India, allowing users in the country to get alternate routes that significantly cut fuel consumption and emissions. The feature launched in the United States two years ago, with Google expanding it to Europe in 2022. It's now available for a growing number of users worldwide, and the company says it's already doing miracles. The feature helped reduce emissions by the equivalent of taking approximately 500,000 vehicles off the road.
It will launch in India with support for cars and two-wheelers, as Google goes after the country's two most popular transportation modes.
Meanwhile, Waze retains its traffic navigation focus, trying to provide drivers with an efficient way of dealing with heavy traffic. The application includes a crowdsourcing engine that allows drivers to contribute with traffic reports for hazards like accidents, broken traffic lights, traffic jams, speed traps, or roadkill.
Many believe Google will eventually merge Google Maps and Waze, but all signs suggest this won't be the case. The company sees the two solutions as distinct products with different features, especially as Google Maps is expanding in an otherwise impossible direction for an application like Waze. Features like buying metro tickets wouldn't make sense in Waze, but this expansion is not surprising considering the non-navigation focus in Google Maps.
Google Maps isn't the only service allowing users to buy metro tickets in India. As per a report, WhatsApp also comes with similar features for users in Bengaluru and Delhi, enabling them to book tickets without leaving the messaging app on their mobile devices.
The integration makes Google Maps the recommended app for public transportation in India, as it can already provide accurate directions, arrival times, and other details.
With this update, Google Maps becomes an all-in-one solution for transit, something the search giant has long been aiming for, especially as part of its non-navigation focus.
The strategy seems to be expanding Google Maps on every single front, including features not aimed at drivers. However, it doesn't mean Google ignores car navigation, as further polishing keeps rolling out occasionally, but the company wants Google Maps to become the right app for everybody.
Earlier this month, Google Maps brought its eco-friendly routing engine to India, allowing users in the country to get alternate routes that significantly cut fuel consumption and emissions. The feature launched in the United States two years ago, with Google expanding it to Europe in 2022. It's now available for a growing number of users worldwide, and the company says it's already doing miracles. The feature helped reduce emissions by the equivalent of taking approximately 500,000 vehicles off the road.
It will launch in India with support for cars and two-wheelers, as Google goes after the country's two most popular transportation modes.
Meanwhile, Waze retains its traffic navigation focus, trying to provide drivers with an efficient way of dealing with heavy traffic. The application includes a crowdsourcing engine that allows drivers to contribute with traffic reports for hazards like accidents, broken traffic lights, traffic jams, speed traps, or roadkill.
Many believe Google will eventually merge Google Maps and Waze, but all signs suggest this won't be the case. The company sees the two solutions as distinct products with different features, especially as Google Maps is expanding in an otherwise impossible direction for an application like Waze. Features like buying metro tickets wouldn't make sense in Waze, but this expansion is not surprising considering the non-navigation focus in Google Maps.
Google Maps isn't the only service allowing users to buy metro tickets in India. As per a report, WhatsApp also comes with similar features for users in Bengaluru and Delhi, enabling them to book tickets without leaving the messaging app on their mobile devices.
Google News